UnitedCorp Seeks Injunctive Relief from Instagram in Federal Court of Canada for use of its iFramed Patented Technology

MIAMI, Feb. 02, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Via OTC PR Wire — Miami-based United American Corp (UnitedCorp), (USOTC:UAMA) announced today that is enforcing on patent infringement against Instagram Inc. a subsidiary of Facebook Inc. related to Instagram’s use of geo-location based filters.United American Corp vs Instagram Inc. complete Statement of Claim and Court file number is available for download at: www.unitedcorp.com/instagram.

Instagram is a photo-sharing application which allows users to upload photos or videos to its service which can then be viewed publicly or privately on the Internet according to permissions set by the user. The application also provides a system for geolocation-based which Instagram refers to as “Geostickers” and the integrated content can then be posted on the Instagram social media site. The suit, filed today in the Federal Court of Canada, alleges that through its Geostickers, Instagram Inc. infringes on certain claims of Canadian Patent No. 2,887,596 granted on June 14, 2016, entitled “USER CONTENT SHARING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH AUTOMATED EXTERNAL CONTENT INTEGRATION”, the underlying technology behind “iFramed”. The corresponding US patent for iFramed (number 15/240,515) was also allowed by the US Patent and Trademark Office on October 3, 2017 and has been received by its Office of Publication for issuance. Both patents benefit from a first priority date of January 3, 2014.

The patent is directed to the implementation of a dedicated mobile content sharing application that can acquire and share new user images or videos, but also gives users the ability to select between distinct locally sourced external content items based on their location to be integrated within their own content before sharing.

The iFramed patent portfolio has been appraised by TechInsights at US$1.04 billion.

Amongst other claims, Instagram’s Geostickers which use the geolocation of social media users in order to provide on demand insertion of external content in the form of a frame or overlay on pictures or videos, infringes upon several claims held by iFramed patent. Instagram had previously been sent a notice to cease and desist the use of the alleged infringing technology by UnitedCorp on October 12, 2017.

UnitedCorp is seeking remedies in the form of injunctive relief prohibiting Instagram from continuing to infringe on the UnitedCorp patent as well as of monetary damages for past infringement. The company will also continue assert its rights from its broadly filed global patent portfolio in key international jurisdictions.

Similar legal proceedings were commenced in the Federal Court of Canada in August 2016 against Snap Inc. and on February 1, 2018 against Facebook Inc.

iFramed is first technology to patent an advertising system that allows users to brand their own social media content with user-related advertising and information, and then pay those users for posting on social media. Operating under the trade name “iFramed” the system provides users with advertising choices for integration into pictures and videos based on, among other things, their geographic locations and specific demographic information’s.

About UnitedCorp

Established in 1992, United American Corp is a Florida-based development and management company focusing on telecommunications technologies. The company currently holds the rights to manage a portfolio of patents and proprietary technology in telecommunications, social media and more recently in Blockchain PSTN technology.

About the iFramed Patent Family

The iFramed Patent and Patent Applications are directed to the implementation of a dedicated mobile content sharing application that can acquire and share new user images or videos, but also gives users the ability to select between distinct locally sourced external content items based on their location to be integrated within their own content before sharing.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors that may be beyond the Company’s control. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made, and the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances in management’s expectations or opinions change.